Barre man found not guilty of assault on 2 officers

A Barre man accused of assault and battery on two police officers who tried to remove him from a Planning Board meeting last summer was found not guilty.

Craig P. Shibley, 45, of 151 Butterworth Road, Barre, was charged with disturbing the peace and two counts of resisting arrest after administrative assistant Mary Ann Gendron called police from the third-floor meeting room above the police station in the Henry Woods Building to report that Mr. Shibley was giving the board a “hard time,” according to a police report.

Police wrote in their report that they observed Mr. Shibley on June 19 interrupting board members and attempting to be part of the planning board, though he had not yet been sworn in. Police said he was causing a disturbance, and when he refused to leave, one officer placed his hand on Mr. Shibley, who tensed and became “actively resistant.”

The charge of disturbing the peace was dismissed several months ago, and Judge Paul McGill found Mr. Shibley not guilty Wednesday on the two remaining charges during a bench trial in Western Worcester District Court.

Mr. Shibley is awaiting trial on trespassing charges brought recently after Police Chief Erik Demetropulos allegedly found him driving on public property. Mr. Shibley had been served with a notice to stay off town property and out of town buildings except in special circumstances.